Trodden Paths
by Azrubel
Summary: A series of short one-shots regarding the Eldar.


Disclaimer: I do not actually own Warhammer 40.000. Big surprise, I'm sure everyone reading this is shocked.

Author's Note:

I've always been a big fan of the Eldar, so I figured out that writing something about them would be fun. So, I want this to be something of a series of short one-shots, each centered around a different aspect of Eldar life, written from a different point of view. So, I might write about an Exarch or Aspect Warrior, an Outcast, a Mariner or even a Corsair or Exodite.

* * *

Eltherion barely dodged another blow, weaving to the side at the last moment. Leaping back and regaining his balance, he attempted to strike back. His blade was blocked, then wrenched from his hands and dumped at his feet, falling with a metallic clang.

Before the Eldar could attempt to dodge his opponent's next strike, her own blade was pressed to his throat. "You still have not opened yourself properly." Eltherion's opponent noted, before pulling away her blade. "You hold back, your mind is still shackled by the barriers you learned to raise as a child."

Farseer Taldeer had taken Eltherion who only recently decided to tread the Seer's Path as a disciple, as some senior Seers often did.

She lifted Eltherion's fallen blade without raising a finger, instead moving it through the power of her mind, and he quickly grabbed it, then assumed a stance he recalled from memory, one he learned at his time in the aspect shrine of the Striking Scorpions.

"Release those barriers from your mind." the Farseer instructed. "Your runes will protect you from the predations of the Warp."

"I already learned how to do that when I was initiated." Eltherion rebuked. "But it is like an instinct to me. They return, even if I don't wish them to."

"That is common. I do not expect you to learn that in a day. However, tell me Eltherion. In your time as a Warrior, how did you come to learn the stances, the forms, how to move in battle and how to kill?" Taldeer questioned. "Even now, you use their forms. Do you not remember them in the heat of combat?"

"I do." he replied. "But this is..harder."

The Farseer looked unimpressed. "Harder than putting on the war-mask? To put on the war-mask required training your mind. This is the same. You have learned how to let down your mental barriers, and you have gazed upon the skein at least once."

"But combat leaves no room for those things, Farseer." Eltherion remarked. "None that I know of, at least."

"You are wrong." Taldeer replied. "In your state of mind it does not. But combat training is a form of meditation. Look upon the skein, do not let your preconceptions disrupt you as you fight me."

Then, without warning the Farseer leaped towards Eltherion, who had dropped his guard and unleashed a sudden flurry of blows, that Eltherion found himself hard-pressed to dodge or parry. Finding himself on the back foot, Eltherion unconsciously dropped his mental barriers and started to look upon the skein, trying to guess at Taldeer's next move, and how to parry or find an opening. "Good!" he heard the Farseer comment. "You have made the first step. Now, fight as a Seer does. Let your mind look at what might be while you fight, let your vision of the skein guide you."

 _By Asuryan, how could the woman fight so fast and still find time to talk_ , Eltherion wondered. However, he could see the potential moves she could make, then counter them. First, a sweeping slash, then a thrust, parry, dodge, move, leap..The world seemed to slow down, giving him time to judge, make decisions based on the threads of probability.

And then, he slowly but surely he started to put Taldeer on the defensive. He could not speak, he was too busy, but she seemed to be impressed. "Very good, Eltherion." she commented as she dodged his strikes.

Eltherion saw a strand, showing an opportunity to strike at the Farseer, which in fact was a feint. However, if he attacked at a different time than she expected, she would lose her balance allowing him to disarm her.

He saw the Farseer assume a high guard, leaving her lower body exposed to attack. That was the feint. He let the supposed opportunity pass by, then attacked the Farseer as she tried to change her stance. It was the moment he foresaw. Eltherion put all his strength into the blow, and..it did not connect.

Taldeer had dodged, as if she had expected his move, and punched his jaw with her free hand, knocking him to the ground. Eltherion, was stunned, partly due to the punch, and partly because of how his precognition had failed him. And the Farseer's healthy chuckle at his expense was certainly not helping matters.

"How did that happen?!" Eltherion shouted. "The skein showed me something else entirely!"

"The skein shows many things. It does not lie, but what may be, and what will be are quite often different things entirely. And many Seers have focused too much on one thread, and did not see the weave." She offered him a hand as she spoke, helping him to his feet.

"But how will I learn to know the difference? And if I cannot, then the consequences may be dire. If my visions do not guide a Seer well, while lives are hanging in the balance.."

"All of us struggle with that possibility. Fate and chance are fickle, as your jaw learned today. But that is why we do not do this by ourselves. Many Seers working together can help untangle the skeins better than any single one working alone."

Eltherion seemed thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "I have to ask, did you trick me into seeing something else, Farseer? You told me that the skein does not lie, but did you misdirect me, driven me to focus one that one strand?" he asked.

"I did not use any of my powers or abilities against you in our sparring sessions, and will not do so until you are ready. If I had, you would not have lasted one second."

She paused.

"You are not exactly wrong, however. We can be tricked, or guided by others, and focus our vision on what they would rather have us see, and we can do the same as well."

"I assume I will learn how to guard myself against such techniques?"

She raised her eyebrows in false indignation. "You have much to learn until then, Eltherion. Go take care of your jaw now. Unless of course you have plans on inspiring poets and artists with your visage. Eltherion Greatjaw would make for a most excellent play, I think."


End file.
